In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Toronto-based Aesthetec Studio has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign guaranteed to put a smile on your face. See that little guy above? He's what the company calls a Little Robot Friend, a tiny interactive companion with an 8-bit 32K microcontroller brain that can help even the newest of newbs learn the basics of hardware programming. These customizable pocket-sized robots can perform a number of actions (like blinking their RGB LED eyes) triggered by varied stimuli, including touch, sound and changes in light. Each Arduino-compatible Little Robot Friend can also be reprogrammed with the developer's kit that Aesthetec hopes to roll out if the campaign hits its CAD$55,000 goal. To see these dudes in action, check out the Kickstarter link below or watch the video after the break.